Axle-box lubricator.



PATENTED APR; 17, 1906.

A. G. ELVIN.

AXLE BOX LUBRICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULYG, 190s.

w a farm).

snrne; end its object is to provide means of thejournsl the oil with which the cellar 4 is recur OFFHFE.

ALBERT G. ELVIN, OF FRANKLIN, PENNSYLVANIA.

sirre eox Luseionron.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 17, 1906.

Application filed July 8,1905. Serial No. 268.585.

To all whom it 112.11, concern.-

Be-it known that l, ALBERT G. ELVIN, of Franklin, in the county of Yenango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain neww and useful improvement in Axle-Box llubri esters, of which in'iprovemen't the following is e. specification.

My invention relates to axle-box lubricstors of the class or type in which oil is sipplied to the journal by wicks extending into an oil-cellar or reservoir located below the.

sine lo and inexpensive construction and res y applicability in side-boxes oi the ordinnry construction whereby the supply of oil to the journal maybe properly and fully effected and the necessity of furnishing a fresh supply of oil to the cellar shall be indicated in accordance with its consumption without requiring the removal of any portioii of the upperatus for the purpose of ascertaining it.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a. front view in elevation of a locomotive driving-nxle box in which my invention is applied; 2, 2. vertical transverse section through the same, Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinol section with the wicks removed to show the construction more clearly; and Figs. 4 and 5, oartial transverse sections, on an enlarged scale, through the oi l-cellsr, showing modifications oi" structural detail. I

M invention is herein exemplified as upplie in a. driving-exlebox 2, which is adepted to be supported on one of the journals of a locomotive-en ine axlecnd which is fitted with the ususl )ress' bearing 3 and lower oilceller 4, the letter being held removably in place by rods passing through lugs 5 on the oil-cellar and adjoining lugs 6 on the box.

The top of the oil-cellar 4 is covered by e cap-piste 11, of sheet metal, which is curved transversely to approximately the radius of the journal on which the axle-box is carried. The plate 11 fits closely in the top of the cellar and is turned downwardly on its sides to form short vertical flanges which fit a; sinst the sides of the cellar. A plurality of ongitudinsl wick-slots 12 is formed in the capplste, said slots engaging the upper ends of wicks 13, which depend therefrom into the cellarend carry therefrom to the surface of lrom time to time supplied in accordance with the requirements of service of the cxle. The

slots 13 are distributed as uniformly as may be throughout the surface of the cup-plate, and the latter is held in position relatively to the journal by one or more light springs 16, two being shown in this instance.

It will be seen that by the provision of wick-slots and wicks, which are distributed over the surface of the cup-pluic,so as to enable the wicks to make contact with the journal at numerous points in its periphery, the supply oi oil thereto is ell'ected more thoroughly and uniformly than if applied only on one or two longitudinal lines, as has ordinarily liece'tofiire been the practice.

In the operation of axle-boxes in which oil is used for lubrication, particularly when, as in locomotives, they are located inside the frames, dilliculty has been experienced by reason oi the fact that it was not practicable to ascertain when the oil-cellar required to be refilled, and failure to maintain a sullicient su pl of oil, which was often due to this, re suited in more or less dunmge to mhchinery and delays to truins. In order to overcome this objection, I provide the oil-cellar with n float, which is supported on the oil therein and carries an indicator projecting to the outside of the cellar, by which the exhaustion of oil therefrom to such it degree as to require a further supply may be observed without necessitating the detachment of the cellar or any part thereof for the purpose of ascertaining what aniount of oil inny remuin therein.

As shown-in Figs. 2 and 3, a. float 18, which may be either a hollow cylinder of light sheet metal or be made of cork or other buoyant material, is fitted to rest upon the surface of the oil in the cellar 4und to traverse vertiorally in a guide 15, which is in the form of a cylinder csst integral with the bottom plate of the cellar and having a lateral opening through which the oil enters, so as to stand at the some level in the guide as in the surrounding interior space of the cellar. An indicutoerod 14, fixed to the float, is bent into U form and fits freely in a vertical parsage formed in the wall of the guide 15 and extending through the some to the exterior of the cellar. The top of the guide and the indicator-rod are covered by. a cup 18*, which prevents the wicks. 13 from interfering with the movements of the flout. As the level of the oil in the cellar falls, by reuson'of its consumption, the flout 18 correspondingly do scends, causing the indicator-rod 14 to protrudebelow the cellar when the oil reaches so luv; :1, level therein as to require 'llhe refilling lhereof The engineer or ronnilhonse eneri'ilive (llll by observing or feeling the indicator-mil he l!lll ilt1\'(:ll'( hut he eeller shnnlll he resuppliwl with oil,

Figs and 5 illustrnte limits which consis'l in (:lill ense ol' :1 eup of light sheet metal having an imlieuim'-rml I l llixilll in its eenter :inil prejecling; dmvnwziri'lly therefrom Willhin :1 guide farmed. of a lube l7, whieh is i-niineeleil to the huthnn el lhe eellnr, the here ml the tube ll" extending to lhe me prnirmle ihereirmn when the level of the oil is snlliriently lnwerell, 21s in the inslzinee lirs'l :leserihml As shown in Fig. -l. the metal ()l' the lliml is lurlieil upwardly ill" its lmllnnz, so as to l'nrni a snpnlemenlnl rap l8, lhe air within 'e'liieh his W 5hr lnmy envy ml the llmil. in eneh of lhe lzisl zll)0\'0- desrriheil insizmees s. verlienl gnzml i is (rest upon lhe helium of lihe ('illill" in prevenl the mm: =n1enl oi the llnnl being interfered with by (he 'ix'iel'ls. Zlllll in Fig. 1 a cup lh" is HllUWH as mllleil to the guard.

ielnim us my im'enlinn and desire in sei'ui'e li y Leliers Pulenl l, in Zlll nizle-luliriezm 0i an nil-relies, 4L llUlll lil lmrerse \'l'- Liezilly in the eelhir, Fllll n iinlirnllw-rml eonneeleil W said llivnl ninl iillllllllll in pr iieel hehzw the he-iimn ml the eelhn" when lh llfiali slmnie ill or helew :1 determined le el thereir.

if. in an,nxle-luhrienlm', lhe eenihimilinn ml" Jill uilwelinr. u llmil filled to traverse Yer-- llieull v in the eellnr, nn imlienier-rnll eunneel- (all m sniil limit" ziml n, verlieiil mssngre exy e emnhixmlimn tell 3 l :1

tending through the bottom of the cellar, through which said indicator-r0cl passes and from which it projects when the fleet stands at or below a determined level in the cellar.

.3. in en exle-lubrieetor, the combination of an oilcellur, m1 inwardly-curved cap-plate H heeled to said float and adapted to proieet exierinr therenl', s0 iwln'i l llli iiilheailor-rnll below the hettem of the eelhir when the float stands at or below a determined level therein, 21ml means for preventing the wicks from in: lml'erenee with the movements of the float.

4. in an axle-hex luhrieetor, the combination of an oil-cellar, an inwardlywurverl ea; plate l()('-ili0(l all the top of said eelhir and perhunted by wick-sluts, 'li'litl engaging said slots and extending therefrom to the lower portion ill the. eelhir, a l-lont fitted to traverse vertienlly in the eelhir, an indicator-rod son'- neeted to said limit and adapted to prejeet below the holtom of the cellar when the float stands at 01' below 1!. determined level therein, and n guard interposed between the float and the zilljzn'eiit wicks.

3 in an axle-hex lulnieeier, 'luhe eomhinalien el en oilelhir, a vertical tnhe fixed to .llHl extending: through the bottom of fihe eelhi-r, an indicator-roll lilting freely in said lube, and 11 en *ehaped limit fixed to the up per end of the iinliezmmrod.

ALBERT ELVIN. vlilnessee:

F. W; lvliinrm, SARA M. JU'J-INSQN. 

